Abstract
Objectives
The aims of the present study were: (1) to characterize vBMD, bone structure and strength
with peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT) in adolescent swimmers
and compare it to normo-active controls (CG); and (2) to evaluate the possible interaction
that weight-bearing sports might have on swimmers bone.
Design
Cross-sectional.
Methods
The non-dominant radius and tibia of 79 (32 females) swimmers and 49 (22 females)
CG (both 11–18 years old) were evaluated at proximal and distal sites with a pQCT
scanner. Values of total, trabecular and cortical volumetric bone mineral density
(vBMD) were obtained from each scan. Cortical thickness, endosteal and periosteal
circumferences were also measured and bone strength indexes were calculated. Analyses
of covariance were used to compare variables between groups adjusting for age, tanner
stage and bone length. Three different analyses were performed according to present
and past sport participation in addition to swimming in order to determine differences
among swimmers who had performed or were performing other sports (OTHER-SP) (10 females/17
males) and swimmers who had not performed other sports (NO-OTHER-SP) (22 females/22
males). Both of these groups were compared to each other and to a CG (22 females/27
males).
Results
No differences were found between swimmers and CG for bone strength indexes, structure
or vBMD (independently of the compared sample).
Conclusions
These results indicate that swimmers present similar bone strength and structure than
CG who did not present high physical activity levels.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Science and Medicine in SportAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Incidence and economic burden of osteoporosis-related fractures in the United States, 2005–2025.J Bone Miner Res. 2007; 22: 465-475
- Enhanced bone mass and physical fitness in young female handball players.Bone. 2004; 35: 1208-1215
- Tomographical description of tennis-loaded radius: reciprocal relation between bone size and volumetric BMD.J Appl Physiol. 1999; 86: 1347-1351
- Is bone tissue really affected by swimming? A systematic review.PLoS One. 2013; 8: e70119
- Mechanical validation of a tomographic (pQCT) index for noninvasive estimation of rat femur bending strength.Bone. 1996; 18: 97-102
- Loading modalities and bone structures at nonweight-bearing upper extremity and weight-bearing lower extremity: a pQCT study of adult female athletes.Bone. 2006; 39: 886-894
- Cross-sectional geometry of weight-bearing tibia in female athletes subjected to different exercise loadings.Osteoporos Int. 2010; 21: 1687-1694
- Effects of physical training on cortical bone at midtibia assessed by peripheral QCT.J Appl Physiol. 2003; 95: 219-224
- Habitual throwing and swimming correspond with upper limb diaphyseal strength and shape in modern human athletes.Am J Phys Anthropol. 2009; 140: 160-172
- Exercise loading and cortical bone distribution at the tibial shaft.Bone. 2011; 48: 786-791
- Bone micro-architecture, estimated bone strength, and the muscle-bone interaction in elite athletes: an HR-pQCT study.Bone. 2013; 56: 281-289
- The effects of swimming training on bone tissue in adolescence.Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2014; 25 (Online Version of Record published before inclusion in an issue): e589-e602
- Does physical activity in adolescence have site and sex specific benefits on young adult bone size, content and estimated strength?.J Bone Miner Res. 2013; 29: 479-486
- Standards from birth to maturity for height, weight, height velocity, and weight velocity: British children, 1965.Arch Dis Child. 1966; 41: 613-635
- Associations of social and demographic variables with calcium intakes of high school students.J Am Diet Assoc. 1994; 94 (269; quiz 267–268): 260-266
- Cortical and trabecular bone at the radius and tibia in male and female adolescents with Down syndrome: a peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) study.Osteoporos Int. 2013; 24: 1035-1044
- Swimming training repercussion on metabolic and structural bone development. Benefits of the incorporation of whole body vibration or pliometric training. The RENACIMIENTO project.Nutr Hosp. 2014; 30: 399-409
- Peripheral quantitative computed tomography in children and adolescents: the 2007 ISCD Pediatric Official Positions.J Clin Densitom. 2008; 11: 59-74
- Bone mass and bone metabolism markers during adolescence: the HELENA study.Horm Res Paediatr. 2010; 74: 339-350
- The 2011 report on dietary reference intakes for calcium and vitamin D from the Institute of Medicine: what clinicians need to know.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011; 96: 53-58
- Association between lean mass, fat mass, and bone mineral density: a meta-analysis.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014; 99: 30-38
- Association of physical activity with trabecular microstructure and cortical bone at distal tibia and radius in young adult men.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010; 95: 2917-2926
- The structural adaptations of cortical bone to loading during different stages of maturation.J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2003; 3 (356; discussion): 345-347
- Sedentary behaviours and its association with bone mass in adolescents: the HELENA Cross-sectional study.BMC Public Health. 2012; 12: 971
- A theoretical analysis of the relative influences of peak BMD, age-related bone loss and menopause on the development of osteoporosis.Osteoporos Int. 2003; 14: 843-847
- The evidence that exercise during growth or adulthood reduces the risk of fragility fractures is weak.Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2001; 15: 429-450
- Bone loss and bone size after menopause.N Engl J Med. 2003; 349: 327-334
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 05, 2015
Accepted:
November 27,
2015
Received in revised form:
October 29,
2015
Received:
May 14,
2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
